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Harlequin exhibit romances shopping centers

By Faye Brookman

Dashing to her favorite shopping center, Marjorie's heart was thumping. Would he be there again? She had first spied him in Macy's, where he held a soft, heather-blue tie up to his striking azure eyes.

Marjorie had followed him to Burberry, watching him sift through a dozen trench coats, before finally making eye contact with him at The Gap. He smiled and asked her opinion on relaxed- vs. regular-fit jeans. She thought anything would look good on him, but pretended a preference just to speak with this man. It was easy to fall into a conversation.

"The Art of Romance" chronicles more than a century of romance
fiction.

Soon they were having coffee in the food court. He let on that he'd started coming to the mall every Thursday evening, to try to get over the loss of "Seinfeld." He said he'd see her again.

Although he didn't give his name, Marjorie learned it by peeking at his credit-card receipt when he'd made his clothing purchase. Lee Martin -- even his name sounded sexy.

Is this story fiction, or has romance at the shopping center joined flirtations in traffic as a peculiarly millennial mating dance? Romance at the shopping center isn't such an offbeat thought, according to Roy D. Heale, president of SuperMarketing, a Calgary, Alberta-based firm. He's spearheaded a tour of "The Art of Romance," an exhibit currently touring about 20 centers across the United States and Canada.

Chronicling 100 years of women's history and romance fiction covers, the display was created to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Toronto-based Harlequin Enterprises Ltd., one of the first, and still perhaps the best-known publisher of romance novels.

Most centers reserve common areas to set up 7.5-foot replicas of Harlequin book covers. The walls are grouped by decade, with the illustrations joined by a description giving historical context.

Harlequin authors attend the exhibits and autograph books for romance-novel aficionados. As part of the festivities, Harlequin is also touting a contest to design the book cover for the millennium.

Among the centers participating in the tour are Marketplace Mall in Rochester, N.Y.; Pembroke Lakes Mall in Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Dayton (Ohio) Mall; and the Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Other venues include flower shows, romance writers' conferences and builders' shows. But shopping centers, according to Heale, are a perfect venue for the tour.

"Shopping centers trade on the female audience," he said. "And there's a natural tie-in because Harlequin readers like romantic, fine things like linens, perfume, crafts, gardening items and bath products."

Although Heale doesn't have concrete figures linking Harlequin fans to purchases of related romantic merchandise, his gut feeling is that romance readers are free-spending consumers. In many cases, added Heale, the promotion is used to give a center a sales jolt.

"We often work with the mall that isn't necessarily No. 1 in the market. This really helps the up-and-coming mall that is trying to increase market share by bringing in new customers.''

Harlequin readers are an attractive audience. Nearly 50 million people in North America read romance novels, the firm says. Readers' median age is 41 years old, with a median household income exceeding $35,000 per year. Fifty percent buy more than one romance novel at a time, helping to create a $1 billion romance fiction business that represents 46% of mass-market paperback sales. And, according to Heale, these readers come out in force to catch a glimpse of favorite authors.

It's not uncommon for fans to wait several hours to talk to authors, according to Heale, who said these events often draw thousands of romance novel enthusiasts.

Even snowstorms don't deter the most intrepid fans, explained Penny Karas, marketing director for Shoppers World in Brampton, Ontario. The center was hit with a record storm of almost 3 feet of snow, yet there was an impressive showing of enthusiasts to see the Harlequin display, said Karas.

"Our center caters to a great deal of senior citizens. We had several seniors groups come, despite the setbacks from the snow," she added.

Although she did not have concrete numbers from the show, which took place Jan. 14 to 23, redemption rates were high for merchants such as the local bookstore that handed out coupons.

Harlequin has captured notoriously highbrow Manhattan's heart, as well. A stop on "The Art of Romance" tour drew hundreds of shoppers, who were able to get an autographed copy of the latest book by Vicki Lewis Thompson at Borders Books & Music's store in the World Trade Center.

At the West Oaks Mall in Houston, which staged the tour during the key selling period around Valentine's Day, a manager at Victoria's Secret -- who asked not to be named for company reasons -- said sales gains were in the high double digits, attributing at least some of the increase to Harlequin fans.

Heale said the tour offers shopping center merchants a chance to tie into the book traffic. The cost to the venue is $5,000, which goes toward staging and promoting the event. Harlequin provides media information kits and authors' biographies, as well as local newspaper and radio promotions. Harlequin representatives also supervise the installation and removal of the exhibit. Charitable links can be arranged, adds Heale. The official sponsor is Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

With a bustling schedule for 1999 already in gear, Heale said plans are already in the works for similar tours in 2000. Karas at Shoppers World said she'd try the promotion again, this time hoping for a break from a snowstorm.

Marjorie returned the next Thursday to the same Macy's, the same Burberry and the same Gap, but Lee was nowhere in sight. She slipped into Victoria's Secret to cheer herself up with the latest lingerie she'd seen modeled on the Web by Victoria's Angels. After that she stopped at Barnes & Noble to pick up the latest Harlequin novel.

Imagine her surprise when her sale was rung up by none other than -- Lee Martin.

This moment marked the beginning of a deeply fulfilling relationship. They frequented the shopping center every Thursday for the rest of their lives.

Harlequin Facts

• In 1998, Harlequin sold more than 160 million books worldwide -- reflecting a sale of 5.5 books a second.
• Harlequin has shipped more than 4 billion books around the world.
• If all the Harlequin books sold in a single day last year were stacked one on top of another, the pile would be five times as high as New York's World Trade Center.
• Over the past four decades, Harlequin characters have kissed each other over 20,000 times, shared about 30,000 hugs and headed for the altar at least 7,000 times.
• Harlequin publishes more than 1,500 authors from around the world.
• Last year, Harlequin purchased more than two original works of fiction every day.